1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a unit with inspection probe blocks mounted thereon in parallel, which is used for inspecting a crystal display panel, a plasma display panel, or a wiring circuit board with an IC loaded thereon.
2. Related Art
A device is already known in which a plurality of inspection probe blocks each having a plurality of probes are mounted on a support base in parallel. In this conventional device, the probes of each inspection probe block are contacted with electrodes of the display panel or wiring circuit board and inspection is carried out in that state. Depending on the size of the display panel or wiring circuit board as an object to be inspected, the number of electrodes, arrangement pitches of the electrodes, and the like, the inspection probe block can be replaced with a proper one.
By bolting the inspection probe blocks to the support base, a unit with a plurality of probe blocks mounted thereon in parallel is formed. A bolt hole is formed in each inspection probe block. This bolt hole is designed to have slight play. Within a range of this slight play, each inspection probe block is finely positionally adjusted (fine adjustment of the position of the probe with respect to the electrode). In a case where the size of the display panel or wiring circuit board is different, the inspection probe blocks, which are in conformity with the panal or board, are mounted, in parallel, on a support base having a bolt hole which is in conformity with the inspection probe blocks, thereby forming a unit with inspection probe blocks mounted thereon in parallel. In doing so, the entire unit can be replaced.
However, the above conventional device has the following problems. Since the positional adjustment of each probe block mounted on a specific support base can be done within a range of slight play of the bolt hole, it is difficult to make a sufficient adjustment.
Moreover, much time and complicated work are required for mounting a plurality of inspection probe blocks on a support base in parallel and for replacing an inadequate probe block with an adequate one. In addition, the work for preparing a unit in which inspection probe blocks are mounted on a specific support base in parallel is essentially required. In other words, it is impossible for the conventional device to have a support base that is preliminarily incorporated in an inspection apparatus and only an inspection probe block is replaced in accordance with necessity.
It is, therefore, a general object of the present invention to provide a unit with inspection probe blocks mounted thereon in parallel which is capable of solving the above-mentioned problems inherent in the conventional device.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a guide rail is disposed on a support base and each inspection probe block is slidably fitted to the guide rail through a slider, and the inspection probe block is fixed to the support base at a predetermined slide position.
Each inspection probe block is inserted into and removed from the guide rail through the slider so that the probe block can be loaded or replaced. Each probe block is slidingly moved along the guide rail so that its positional adjustment can be made in an extension length of the guide rail. Only one kind of support base can commonly be used by inserting and removing different probe blocks with respect to the support base and the positional adjustment can be done.
For example, the slider is tightly connected to the guide rail through a bolt, thereby fixing the inspection probe block to the support base. By doing so, the bolt can be tightened at an optional movement position so that the object to be inspected can be replaced.
As one preferred example, the guide rail comprises a guide groove, the slider is slide fitted into the guide groove, the inspection probe blocks are overlapped on a surface of the support base where the guide groove is open, the inspection probe block and the slider are tightly connected together by the tightening bolt through the opening of the guide groove, and a wall for limiting the opening of the guide groove is fixingly sandwichingly held between the slider and the inspection probe block. Owing to this arrangement, by merely tightening the bolt, an optional fixing position can be set, and by merely untightening the bolt, the inspection probe block can be inserted into and removed from the guide rail.
The inspection probe block is overlapped directly on the support base, or overlapped through a pedestal plate on a surface of the support base where the guide groove is open, the inspection probe block is integrally attached to the pedestal plate through the tightening bolt, and the tightening bolt is tightened to tightly connect the pedestal plate and the slider, thereby tightly connecting the inspection probe block and the slider together, so that the fixingly sandwichingly held state is achieved.
As one preferred example, the slider includes a spherical surface, the tightening bolt is threadingly engaged with a top part of the spherical surface, and by tightening the tightening bolt, the spherical surface is abutted with the opening limiting wall at a symmetrical position with respect to an axis of the tightening bolt, so that the fixingly sandwiching held state is achieved.
As the bolt is tightened, the spherical surface is slidingly moved in such a manner as to form the above-mentioned symmetrical position to align the terminal portions at the distal ends of the probes and appropriately prevent the spherical surface from turning on a horizontal plane. This ensures a correct corresponding relation between the probes and the electrodes.